Orphans of Crime and Disease
Read about what PF Rwanda is doing to help the children who have no one to care for them so must live on the streets.
They roam the streets looking for food and water, searching for safe shelter. They are all victims—of the devastating 1994 Rwandan genocide, the deadly AIDS virus, or the incarceration of a parent—whatever the cause, they are now orphans, with nowhere to go. According to UNICEF, there are approximately 100,000 children living on the streets of Rwanda without a parent or guardian to care for them. Some find work, such as fetching water or carrying goods, while others resort to theft or become victims of abuse. Older children often care for their younger siblings as best they can.
Two years ago, PF Rwanda began a programme to help these struggling children. PF now serve more than 85 young children with meals, counselling, group activities and Bible teaching. They also provide medical insurance for many children and literacy training, since their situation has forced most of the children to drop out of school. “Prison Fellowship Rwanda believes that helping young and unfortunate children of the world is everybody’s responsibility,” says PF’s Guma Alexandre.
PF Rwanda hopes to expand this needed programme by building a shelter for the children that would allow for a more stable living environment and sustained access to education and healthcare, if funds become available.
